Fine tuning my Mc E2S

[McGizmo]

Let me see if I can help.

In the cut away drawing above, the part that is being discussed which you can file down or shorten is the main body. If you notice the top of it where the button mates to it, this stands the button away from the resistor PCB. By filing the top down, the button will be closer to the PCB and require less force and displacement to contact the PCB (high level occurs at this point).

 

[Lips]

My problem with the tail cap I received was mainly the pressure required to keep it in high mode was very-very uncomfortable to use. If you moved your hand around it bounced from high to low and required more pressure to compensate.


FT - Flat Top tail cap must be made different because mine looks different than the one pictured (CY Photo). As Don said FT designed with more of a hair trigger though.

Don can you clarify if these switches have different internals. FT vs others


Cutting the springs lowers the pressure required to hold on high or low. Also some to do with shortness of stroke to turn light on but more so with force required to turn on.

big spring = low
small spring = high

Trim too much you will have to stretch springs or get new ones. I trimmed my big spring too much because I first thought it controlled the low. Had to stretch it a little. My big spring was so hard I had to cut it with a dremmel. I trimmed and smoothed edge so it would not dig into the battery.

I cut the small spring very little and that did the trick for high.

You can tighten or loosen the boot ring that is in the threads to give some adjustment and light still stands on end.


Tail cap is on a e1e with KL4. Now functions with very light pressure for low and light pressure for high with comfortable distance in between settings. In other words you don't bounce from low to high or high to low.


- If you take the tailcap off you have to play with it a bit to get it set just right. (battery goes in top anyway)

- Because I trimmed my large spring a little too much tailcap did not work as smoothly on another light my e2l.

- 30 ohm res gives me slightly brighter light & better spill than my 2x photon freedom. Perfect for me on the KL4

I only spent an hour with this switch so I am posting this because it worked for me. I may have the whole thing backwords /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

[McGizmo]

Lips,
The FT and SFT have a different button (shorter) and the main body's stem has been shortened, reducing the travel required to get from low to high. The main bodys look the same but would not measure the same in total height. Springs and the PCB are the same in both switches. As you mentioned, the FT and SFT have buttons that are so short that they do not have an O-ring retainer and will come out freely when the tail cap is removed.

When you push the switch in, you are compressing the battery contact spring at all times and the further you push the more resistance and effort is required. Once you push the switch far enough for the resistor PCB to contact the rear lip of the battery tube, you have achieved low output. further depression of the button continues to compress the contact spring but now you are also pushing the main body through the resistor PCB (it's now stopped on the battery tube) and you are compressing the switch contact seperator spring as well (additional effort). The combination of displacement and additional force required add to achieve a tactile sense of where you are and help to keep from going to far and hitting the high when you only want low.

There are variations from switch to switch and light to light and person to person which make some of these switches very acceptable to the user and for others, too much of an effort for prolonged use in momentary. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif The mechanics are really rather simple but it sure took me a bunch of head scratching to come up with the design from the get go. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif The springs as well as dimensions can be tweaked by the end user for fine tuning. Reaming out the bore in the jam nut and removing the retaining O-ring can often enhance the ease of activation as well.

 

[cognitivefun]

white thumb white thumb white thumb

I will have to examine this better...I appreciate the explanation...

 

[Anglepoise]

Seems an awful amount of work to perfect something that is already perfected.
I would suspect that Lip's problem is not spring related but button 'O' ring sticking.
Temporarily remove the Button 'O' ring ( see photo ^^^ ) and see if that changes anything. If that O ring is not siting right in the nylon ring, it can add considerable resistance.

 

[cognitivefun]

I can't even seem to remove the switch from the external housing...I am using a needlenose...I don't want to break anything...

 

[Lips]

I read about the orings being a possible problem. I lubed em up and moved them around - no help

I think most of my "white thumb" problem was the small spring in the FT model being a too stiff. Once the low is engage as Don explains above the resistance and displacement is left to the smaller spring. Could be all the springs are not exactly alike.

I can only say this for sure, my switch was very uncomfortable & ineffective to hold for any length of time.

I am going to get another one for another light and see. Man I love that High - Low.

 

[McGizmo]

Remove the contact spring, grab the socket head screw head with the needle nose pliers and pull it outwards while also pushing the button in. The retaining O-ring is not wanting to pop through the jam nut. As David has suggested, it is likely that most of the problems encontered with these switches tend to be related to smooth and free passage of the button through the jam nut. The retaining O-ring in some cases starts to press against the nut when you are attempting High so you have this pressure to overcome as well as that of the springs. In retrospect, I am sorry I included the retaining O-ring in the design. It only provides a pseudo lock out and has been problematic on occasion. You don't need it and it may giveyou some grief.

 

[cognitivefun]

I finally got things apart and did the spring shortening and it is much better now. Almost perfect. Thanks!

 

[cy]

If you have trouble getting the switch apart due to oring's lack of lube.

A simple way to get switch apart is to carefully drill two small holes in plastic locking ring. then unscrew with snap-ring pliers.

EZ as pie /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[SilverFox]

It is good to know that there is a technical way to address this issue...

I took the artistic approach and am working with the Jane Fonda Thumb Wrestling work out tape. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nana.gif

Tom

 

[McGizmo]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nana.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinser2.gif

 

[Pydpiper]

This is a great thread on a great product..
I am going to bring it back alive until I understand it.

 

[dmz]

I read that the too difficult to press for hi mode problem of the Mc E2S drop in kit for the Z52 and Z57 is the rubber boot is too stiff.

How do you solve the Z52/Z57 too stiff rubber boot problem? Can you buy a less stiff boot? Does any one even make another boot that will work?

 

[Lips]

I been missen this thread!

 

[Kiessling]

It is linked in the FAQ for your convenience
bernie

 

[cy]

I read that the too difficult to press for hi mode problem of the Mc E2S drop in kit for the Z52 and Z57 is the rubber boot is too stiff.

How do you solve the Z52/Z57 too stiff rubber boot problem? Can you buy a less stiff boot? Does any one even make another boot that will work?

odds are it's not the boot causing hard to press switch. if you sand down post of main body, very SLOWLY aprox. .015in you will cure your problem.

 

[dmz]

Do you sand down the top or bottom of the Mc E2S main body?

 

[Lips]

It is linked in the FAQ for your convenience
bernie

I mean missen like cuddling...

 

[cy]

Do you sand down the top or bottom of the Mc E2S main body?

look on post #12 of this thread...